Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1887-12-30

was too proud TO make any sign. HC
waited n moment for Doris to explain
further, but Doris was dumb. Could he
have soen her quiverlng lips he might have
known the reason.
~ hope you may be happy in your now
life, Doris" 1t cost DR.. Blake n tromen-
dous effort to say thia Too well he knew
the weak will and vacllatlng purpose OF
his nephew, who would never succeed in
his calling simply from lack of energy and
application. And this was tho man who
had won his pretty wnrdl
THANK yea" said Doris, in n low tone.
But as she suddenly lifted her deep, sharp
eyes TO his own, whnt was II that, for ono
| brief moment, he fancied ho saw in their
inscrutable dcpthsY
All tho self-repressed passion of his nat
uro rose suddenly to tho surface. For the
first time in his years of guardianship, DIR.
Paul Blake forgot to hold himself In check.
Crossing the space between them with n
single stride, DR.. Blake seized both Doris
small hands in his own:
DORIS my darling-cun 1t be posslblep"
he exclaimed, in half bewilderment
And his voice, as well as the love-llght
shining from his eyes, supplied what was
lacking of further speech
A flood of tell-talo crimson sufrused tho
fair girls brow, cheeks and neck
How dare you'll hate you, DR. Blake"
| she impetuously cried, in the same breath
And wrenching herself from his OBTAINING
grasp, Doris, hiding her hot face in her
hands, burst into an agony of weeping
Well would dismayed DR.. Blake have de-
sired to kiss away her tears, as when Doris
WIS tiny maiden. Dut-she hated him;
that settled 1t Exhaling sigh, which
seemed to come from his boot-solos the
n. 4.
down stairs Doris waited till tho echo of
his footsteps had died away; then, drying
her eyes on diminutivo handkerchief she
stamped her small foot with considerable
energy.
Il am nothing but young fool" she
said, with an unconscious echo of similar
| admission on DR.. Blako's part a little be-
fore. The adjectives only being changed
Removing the cloth from the partly COM
pleted portrait, Doris seized her palette
and with the ghost of tender smile on her
quivering lips fell TO painting with nervous
has C.
II mus. finish it before New Years." sho
said to herself And rcsolutely crowding
down her emotions, Doris worked steadily
| till dinner time.
To her relief DR.. Blake was absent max
ing his professional round. Mrs Mack
glanced ut the traces of recent tears on
Doris pale check with ill-concenled tri-
umph as tho young girl, bending over her
| plate, made protense of eating.
-rhe Doctor says you're thinking of leav-
| ing U.S." smoothly remark I'd the widow, after
vainly waiting for Doris to break the
silence.
"Yes, was the coldly monosylablc reply
swell, may be it's for the best" responded
Mrs Mack, steadily cycling her shrinking
victim, ~for naturally you don't feel like
being beholden to any one longer'n you can
help, though as PAUL. mean the Doctor
| says he didn't mind the extra expense while
he was single with only himself to care for.
But now, why"
Here Mrs. Mack checked herself and coyly
dropped her eyes to the table cloth, corner
of which she was plating between her
fingers IN seeming confusion
Neither DR. Bake or yourself need fear
being burdencd with me much longer" re-
piled Doris, with quiet scoIn. And MS she
rose and lett the room, Mrs Mack smiled
unpleasantly
"One of US will leave, but it won't be
Altnea Mack, she remarked, in triumphant
confidence, to herself But this remains to
be seem
Slowly the old year dragged his tagging
footsteps toward the portal where the New
Year child stood impatiently awaiting the
departure OF his near.y worn-out pred
ecessor Doris, cold and silent, saw but
little of her guardian, who, far graver and
more pre-occupied than was his won't
silently noted the frequent comings and
goIngs of his nephew,who as far MS possible
seemed to shrink from an interview.
Dr. Blake waited from day to day with a
vain hope that Doris might come to him
with her confidence MS in other days But
the young glrl painted steadily ut the un-
finished portrait for which h-uccording to
Mis- Mack-hs nephew Paul was "settin,"
and Dr. Blake never again intruded himself
on their presence.
1t was the last evening of the old year.
DR. Blake. thoroughly tired ont by an un-
usually hard days wori, was sitting in his
office library looking absenty into the open
fireplace where the flames were dancing
weird measure in fantastic time to the voice
of the winter wind in the old-fashioned,
wide-mouthed chimney
Bob, the office 10y, stood in back ground
OF shadow awaiting the Doctors commands
for the morrow, vaguely wondering what
had come over his usually genial employer
OF late.
May be it's as folks says-that Mis-
Mack's bound to marry him whether he's
wiilin' or not" !" solloquized Bob: "and If he's
afea'rd OF that, don't wonder he's down in
the mouth"
But all unconscious of his office boys
anxiety in his behalf, DR. Blake sat with
half-closed eyes in the semi obscurity, for n
pinhead OF fame from gas Jet at the rear
and the blaze OF the wood fire itself alone
relieved the darkness of the room
rustic as OF u woman's dress caused the
Doctor to give sudden start! At last Doris
had come.
Dreaming of your lady love, ,doctor?"
Alas the voice, Stimulating an archness en-
tirely foreign to the speaker was that of
Mrs Mack, VINO, arrayed as for conquest, ad-
vanced into the circle of freight and care
lcssly placed rather shapely foot on the
fender.
We'll, yes" was the absent reply. For
DIR. Blake, who, in addition to an unusually
laborious day, had been up with danger
ous case nearly all the night before, was in
that curious state between waking and
sleeping, when men see visions aud dream
dreams, yet are perfectly conscious Us to
what is going ON about them.
Mrs Mack sighed softly and drew little
nearer. In the subdued glow OF the fire.
light, which, SO to speak, toned down the
sharpness of her facial contour, the widow
was looking at her best, and Dr. Blake
Win llhe
friendly admiration, vaguely thinking that
his housekeepr was by no means a bad
looking woman.
Something in DR. Blake's voice and man
ner caused the fossil remains of an organ
MrS Mack was pleased to designate as her
heart, to give n dull throb. She had read OF
masculine hearts caught at the rebound
BY this time DR. Blake knew that his case
was hopeless with the chit of girl he had
been temporarily infatuated Should she
strike while the iron was hot?
"When Miss Doris and your nephew are
married, you and l Doctor will be left quite
alone!" said Mira Mack with tender look,
which was entirely lost on the d octor, who
had subsidized into his W king slumber. As
in a vision he again saw Doris deep eyes
lock ng into his own with the strange in
tensity which once before had thrilled him
through and through And, extending his
arms, DR. Blake said aloud
my darling-come